Tag: internet

Welcome to another *live* episode of Surviving Society! In our third and final collaboration with The Sociological Review, our #1 fan Dr Michaela Benson interviews Saskia, Chantelle and Tissot about podcasting, public sociology, and how we’ve helped each other to survive our PhDs. With our lovely audience of fellow PhD students and early career researchers, we discuss why we see sociology as an activist discipline, and the importance of harnessing your rage when you’re doing social research. Thank you so much to everyone in the audience for coming along and being so engaged, and an extra big thank you to Michaela for all her help and support! As always, we’re angry, we’re sweary, we’re laughing, and we’re super grateful to everyone who has made this panel, the podcast and our studies possible.

What do people mean when they talk about the ‘smart city’, and can the smart city ever be inclusive? In our second episode recorded in collaboration with The Sociological Review, Chantelle, Tissot and Saskia talk to Dr Ayona Datta about her work on urban transformations in Indian cities. Ayona argues that we need to be skeptical about whether smart cities can really address deep-rooted inequalities – smart water meters are useless if there’s no infrastructure for clean running water. Tissot tells us about the creative uses of smart technology by homeless people living in London’s financial district, showing that, although digital divides run across class lines, smart technology can change our cities in unplanned and exciting ways.

In the lead-up to the World Cup, Chantelle is pissed off with the constant stream of racism directed at Raheem Sterling, and Tissot talks about the white supremacist Tommy Robinson, and why locking him up could turn him into a martyr for the far-right. Fresh from her holiday in Finland, Saskia tells us about her experiences of the country, perceptions of Brexit from the Eastern border of Europe, and whether it’s a safe place to visit if you’re a person of colour. As usual, you can expect us to be a little ranty, a little sweary, and full of laughter and biting sociological analysis.

This week Chantelle is pissed off with the homogenisation of black people and people of colour in Britain. Drawing on the media depictions of knife crime in London and how different ‘communities’ ‘need’ to respond, Chantelle is urging for Sociology to dispel myths and to look more critically at the role of racism and whiteness. Tissot talks us through his developing PhD, focusing on the role of tech giants, the internet as a social space and the need for us to behave like digital citizens online. Expect the usual ranting, laughter and strong language.

Why is everyone obsessed with free speech on university campuses? And who is it that makes The Daily Mail so toxic? Saskia takes the Free Speech University Rankings to task, Chantelle decries Paul Dacre, and Tissot reminds us that social media and the far right are changing political conversations. As usual, we are a bit sweary, a bit ranty, and always ready to challenge the status quo ✊🏾

What’s it like to be an EU migrant in Brexit Britain? We talk to special guest Alex Bulat, PhD researcher and activist, about her work on attitudes towards EU migration in Clacton-on-Sea and West Ham, and her fight for EU citizens’ rights with the 3million. Saskia contemplates the betrayals of the New Labour and Coalition governments, and Tissot reminds us how important it is to listen to opposing views. Expect the usual laughter, ranting and strong language.

This week Chantelle and Saskia launch the first Surviving Society Alternative to Woman’s Hour! Beginning with the comments made by Catherine Deneuve about the #metoo campaign, in this episode we challenge commentators who think experiences of sexual harassment and assault are up for debate and talk about why we should avoid silencing different experiences. We discuss the missing aspects of these conversations like ‘race’, class and trans issues, our own journeys with feminism, and why we need to have a more fluid understanding of what it means to be a woman in contemporary society. Expect the usual strong language, laughter and ranting throughout.

What’s wrong with the way we talk about Africa? Who cares if Meghan Markle is ‘mixed race’? And why do British citizenship tests matter? We tackle all this and more in this episode on how ‘race’, gender and Britain’s former colonies are portrayed in the media. With some swearing and plenty of historical insights from Tissot.

Chantelle gets angry about the politics of hair, Saskia challenges the myth of meritocracy, and Tissot asks what flat earthers say about truth. We’re a little bit sweary but always charming as we pull apart the social forces of gender, ‘race’ and class, and look at the influence they have on our everyday lives.

Brace yourselves, people: this week, we’re tackling Brexit. We talk about racism in the UK, how Jo Cox’s murderer was motivated by the far-right, and what it means to feel like a migrant since the referendum. With strong language that some may find offensive, and laughter that some may find too loud, we explain why Brexit makes us angry, and how the Leave result has affected our lives.